Susan Finden - Casper the Commuting Cat - The True Story of the Cat Who Rode the Bus and Stole Our Hearts

It was not until Mr Blair was succeeded by Gordon Brown in 2007 that a new cat came to Downing Street. Sybil – again named after a TV character, this time from Fawlty Towers – was believed to have come from the new Chancellor Alastair Darling’s home in Edinburgh. Sadly, Sybil didn’t settle and it was decided that she should return to Scotland. However, before this happened she became very ill and passed on.

I think it is delightful that in the midst of political shenanigans and top-level debates, those in power still have time for furry friends. Perhaps they, too, benefit from the lowered blood pressure and stress levels that come from having animals around – who knows? Whatever the reason, I do hope it continues, and I am proud to think that, in his own small way, Casper played a part in helping people during what may have been very difficult times in their lives.

Dear Cassie – helping all those people without knowing it, certainly without me knowing it. It makes me sad to think of old people alone without anyone to tell their worries to, but the thought that Casper gave them some companionship is heart-warming and comforting. There is no doubt that some people feel able to relate to an animal in ways they can’t with another person. I hope Casper was there for people when they needed him.

It was Casper’s friendliness and love for humans that made him a special cat. In truth, he was an ordinary little cat who was starting to have an extraordinary effect. I used to laugh at his adventures in Frome, but I could never have imagined what would happen once we moved to Plymouth.

CHAPTER 8

How to go Places and Make Friends

Casper

Obviously, I had a life before I found my mum. When we discovered each other, I was getting on a bit and no longer a little kitten. I was a cat with a past! While she may have been keen to discover what that past entailed, I enjoyed being something of a ‘mystery cat’ with an eye on the future. In the days before mum I learned to survive and be comfortable around humans, and that’s what matters most. I used what I’d learned to make sure life was as nice for me as it could possibly be.

It was about this time that I realized my understanding of the human world was something that could help cats and people alike. Because I’d always been a nomad at heart, I’d built up a lot of knowledge about the skilful ways in which journeys could be undertaken and friends made, which I will share with you now.

Casper’s basic rules for filling the day

Decide where you want to go.

Go there.

If there are impediments (and humans must be given some credit for the many ways in which they manage to create obstacle courses out of the most innocent household articles), see this as nothing more than a challenge. Windows and doors always open somehow. It is generally useful to feign sleep until such openings appear, then spring to life and exit, leaving your human too confused to catch you in time.

Previous reconnaissance missions may have given you an idea of where to while away a few pleasant hours. If this is the case, head to that source of heat, food or company immediately. If you are undecided, listen for happy human noises, the smell of turkey roll and an absence of barking.

I have always found places in which people sit down in large groups are highly conducive to cats. Human vet buildings (or ‘GP surgeries’ as they like to call them), or places where they wait to buy their flea treatment (they call these buildings ‘the chemist’ or ‘the pharmacy’), usually have comfortable seats placed there for cats. Indeed, if humans also wish to sit down, another seat will be provided for any feline visitors, which is a charming kindness and much to their credit.

Ignore shouting unless it is accompanied by the throwing of objects or energetic chasing.

Always behave as if it is perfectly natural and normal for you to be in the place of your choice.

If your human appears, remain calm. They tend to be quite surprised that we have lives beyond their homes and gardens. If they see us beyond those confines, they get confused and assume that you ‘need to go home’. This is odd: if you ‘needed’ to get home, you would go home, so it’s best to stay seated, pretend to sleep if needs be or ignore them if that’s best. They’ll soon realize you have a right to be there – as the other humans have already recognized – and they may even think they’ve imagined it all.

You will probably receive quite a lot of attention in these places, which should be accepted (especially if that was the object in the first place). Prepare to be carried like a human baby, praised for being ‘clever’ (this involves doing nothing more than being yourself) and told many secrets and worries.

Go home as if nothing had ever happened.

CHAPTER 9

Finding More Friends

My affinity with animals is an integral part of me, and my husband Chris accepts that. He never laughs when I stop in the street to move a worm out of harm’s way, or if I rant at people on holiday when I see them being thoughtless or cruel to strays. Chris takes it as part of me, and I will always be grateful to him for that. When we married we couldn’t imagine the struggles we would face, but I believe that his understanding of me from the start allowed us to build such a strong base as a couple that we rose to the challenges with greater strength when they came.

I enjoy watching the cats grow with each other as much as I love getting to know them myself. What they’ve taught me about patience and care is immeasurable. No pair did more in that regard than Clyde and a cat called Gemma.

We got Gemma from a couple who’d broken away from the official Cats Protection branch where we lived and set up an independent cat rescue group. I befriended this couple and kept in touch with them even when I wasn’t looking to add new kitties to my life. I always enjoyed visiting Ted and Rosemary, so one beautiful summer afternoon I’d cycled over to see them in their cat centre. Chris was going to meet me there when he’d finished work.

When I arrived, Rosemary called out, ‘Just have a wander round, Sue, and I’ll be with you as soon as I can.’ She always had her hands full, attending to all the residents, but I was quite used to spending some time on my own, happily looking at who was there and what they were all up to.

I was pottering around, checking all the pens and making sure that the cats were fine, when this lovely creature came straight up and looked at me in such a strange way. It was almost as if she were looking into my soul – I felt quite spooked. I wasn’t in the market for another cat, so I tried to put it out of my mind. Chris and I met up later at the centre and we had a chat with Ted and Rosemary before we headed off. I hadn’t realized that, when we visited, he’d also taken to wandering around and looking in all the pens, so when he told me what he’d been up to, I was quite surprised.

When we got home, he kept chatting about all the cats and finally said, ‘Did you see the white one with the grey bits on her by any chance?’ I knew he was talking about the same little girl who’d stared at me, so I said I had and was shocked when he told me that the same thing had happened to him. ‘She stared at me so hard, for so long, that I felt as if I’d known her before,’ Chris told me. ‘Isn’t that funny?’ he said. ‘I felt a connection there – we just sort of gelled.’ It was odd. Chris loved animals by now, but this was the first time I’d heard him talk like that. This little cat had really got to him.

We didn’t say anything else about it that night, but as I was dropping off to sleep, Chris whispered to me. ‘You know, Sue, that little white and grey cat? If you want her, that’s absolutely fine by me.’ That was as good as him asking for her.